Article: Ayurveda: Balance, Beauty and Bliss with Roses

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Roses

 

Balance, Beauty and Bliss with Roses:

An Ayurvedic Perspective

C 2000 by Rama Kant Mishra

 

Rama Kant Mishra is a world renowned ayurvedic expert. He comes from a

family tradition of Raj Vaidyas - physicians to the kings and queens of

India

 

 

<http://www.talewins.com/OK/noble.htm> Maharishi Ayurveda places the

rose at the pinnacle of the flower kingdom. The essence of roses

contains a large number of different biochemicals, making it the most

complex of all aromatic oils.

 

Rose oil has been prized throughout the ages as a way to calm the

emotions, soothe stress, cool frustration, and cultivate love. Used in

India for a long, long, time as a healing flower, in Maharishi Ayurveda

specifically the rose is used to help alleviate depression, anxiety,

insomnia, irritability, and memory loss. It is also used to enhance

beauty.

 

Why the Rose Balances the Heart

 

<http://www.talewins.com/3gees.htm> According to the ayurvedic texts,

it is not a coincidence that the rose is associated with romance,

because it balances Sadhaka Pitta, the subdosha of Pitta that governs

the emotions and their effect on the heart. Sadhaka Pitta can go out of

balance more easily in summer, when the hot, humid weather increases all

aspects of Pitta dosha, one of three ayurvedic mind-body operators that

governs heat, digestion, and metabolism in the body.

 

So there's a physiological reason why roses have been the ideal gift to

express love and forgiveness for thousands of years. They literally

soothe the heart and emotions.

 

What may surprise you is that the rose also balances the mind. It

enhances the coordination between Sadhaka Pitta and Prana Vata (the

subdosha of Vata dosha that governs the brain, head, chest, respiration,

sensory perception, and the mind).

 

Other properties are equally surprising. The rose is cooling, yet it

enhances agni, the digestive fire. This is a unique quality, which makes

it balancing for all three doshas - Vata, Pitta and Kapha - when used in

moderate amounts.

 

These healing properties are not lost on modern researchers, who are

investigating the effect of the rose in balancing hormones and creating

overall well-being. Essential rose oils used in aromatherapy are also

being investigated for their antibacterial, antiinflammatory, and

antihemorrhagic properties.

 

Traditional Uses of the Rose

 

Even though there are hundreds of varieties of wild and cultivated

roses, it is only the Rosa Centifolia that is used in Maharishi

Ayurveda. The ayurvedic name for this particular rose is shatapattri,

which means 'a hundred petals', as does the Latin name Rosa Centifolia.

 

In Maharishi Ayurveda, the rose is used in many Rasayanas, pre-eminent

ayurvedic herbal formulas that are stated to promote overall health and

longevity. It is also used as rose

water. The essence of rose (rose aroma oil) appears in aromatherapy, and

tonics are made from mixing rose paste, water, and spices. Cold

poultices with rose and sandalwood paste are sometimes prescribed to

cool mild burning.

 

The rose enhances beauty in many ways. Local applications (such as in

creams and poultices) cool, moisturize, and tone the skin. Massaging the

body with rose and sandalwood pastes enhances beauty. The essence of

rose augments the glow and complexion of the skin. The rose enlivens

inner beauty, helps the skin to radiate inner glow out to others, and

enhances all seven dhatus (body tissues). When used over time, the

essence of rose pacifies the heat in the blood, and thus keeps

imbalances in the skin from erupting.

 

There are some specific ailments that are said, in the texts, to be

helped by the rose. These include amenorrhea (absence of menstrual

flow), inflamed eyes, dizziness, headache due to Pitta aggravation, sore

throat, enlarged tonsils, nervousness, grief, dullness of the skin and

acne caused by Pitta imbalances. For conditions such as these, of

course, it is recommended that you consult a physician trained in

Maharishi Ayurveda to prescribe appropriate treatments.

 

A traditional preparation using the rose is rose petal jam, made by

cooking rose petals and sugar. Eaten on its own, or made into a drink

with milk or fresh yogurt and water, rose petal jam has a cooling effect

on mind and body.

 

Roses for the Skin

 

Maharishi Ayurveda incorporates the rose in traditional ayurvedic

formulations for the skin. The properties of the rose--cooling,

moisturizing, and soothing--have a nourishing effect on the skin when

incorporated into cleansers or creams.

 

Pure rose water is ideal for facial toning, especially in summer. You

can spritz your face before or after your facial. It also helps

moisturize the skin at bedtime, or before and after exposure to the sun.

With its pleasant aroma, rose water spray enhances the mood and is

cooling and toning. It pacifies Bhrajaka Pitta (the subdosha of Pitta

that governs the biochemical aspects of the skin). All of these factors

together enhance the glow and appearance of the skin.

 

So the next time you feel the overheated effects of summer-whether it's

a slight feeling of irritability, insatiable thirst, or just a lack of

satisfaction-reach for the nearest rose. You'll not only feel cooled,

soothed, and nourished, but you might find yourself dreaming sweet

dreams of the heart as well.

 

About the author

 

Rama Kant Mishra is a world renowned ayurvedic expert. He comes from a

family tradition of Raj Vaidyas - physicians to the kings and queens of

India - that can be traced back many

centuries. He is also intimately involved in researching the ancient

ayurvedic texts and has developed dozens of ayurvedic formulations based

on this research. Rama Mishra is currently Director of Research at

Maharishi Ayurveda Products International, Inc. in Colorado Springs, CO.

For more information on Maharishi Ayurveda, visit http://www.mapi.com

<http://www.mapi.com/> . Comments or questions for the author may be

e-mailed to info.